Question:Don’t know what to do! Help!

New member

I have four tiger salamanders. 2 males and 2 females. They all live together in a big 45 gallon tank. My biggest salamander has refused to eat for over 2 months yet she’s still fatter than all the other salamanders. She used to snap at everything but now she just lays around and hardly moves. When ever I offer her food she just turns away and walks away from it. The only time I ever see her move is when she moves into the water every now and then. This has been going on for over 2 months yet she’s still fatter than the others. She’s really starting to worry me. Can anyone tell me what’s going on with her? And what I can do to get her to start eating again?

Member

I don't have any knowledge in tiger salamanders, but I think a few things might help someone to help you. First of all, can you share a photo of her (how she looks now)? Have you seen any bowel function? Has your room temperature changed a lot, or tank settings? And is there any living things in the tank she could eat without you noticing it (worms or something)?
I hope someone will help you, I only have firebelly newts so it's a different (more waterly ) habitat. If you have a salamander friendly vet around, that could be a good option, too.

New member

We have the same problem with ours and I made a post like this in the past. I've lost track but ours hasn't eaten in at least three months, probably more. He doesn't move much but still looks healthy. He looked very fat until very recently and is now showing signs of losing weight.

I made three visits to the vet and other than a tiny bit of edema she said he appears to be fine. She did suggest that he is going through a period of aestivation as it's summer here. How hot is it in your tank? The next step for ours is a blood test. The vet tried before but getting blood was not easy and she has suggested that he would have be sedated.

Sorry I can't help more. Genuinely interested in other people's opinions though.

New member

I have separated her from the others just Incase it’s something contagious. As far as I can tell she hasn’t had any bowl functions and nothing has in the room has changed before this started. But it is Summer by me so the AC has been turned on as it’s really hot here. Other than that and her being separated from the other nothing has changed. There also isn’t anything in the tank that she could have eaten as I always make sure everything is safe for her and the others. I’ve also notice that when I picked her up to move her I can fell how skinny she truly is. I’m able to feel her spine without hardly touching her and her abdomen feels more like it’s filled with water. I wish I could take her to the vet but there’s no one near by that will take her and my parents refuse to take her as they feel it’s not worth paying to take her to the vet being that she’s “only a salamander”.

New member

So far I have observed that if she spends too much time in the water she gets fatter and sometimes will start foaming from the mouth. If she stays out of the water long enough she gets really skinny and shows the fact that she hasn’t eaten in over two months. Do to this I have put together a possible theory. I believe that the longer she stays in the water the more her body absorbs and for some reason her body is just collecting it making her feel full and not having to eat. I think that if I replace her water source with very wet paper towel, this will let her only absorb the amount of water needed to stay hydrated and not too much. Thus allowing her her to get skinny like she should be and this will make her realize that she needs to eat. I believe that if I’m wrong that this could possibly kill her. But I’m out of options and she’s dieing so I have to take the risk. I want to ask for your opinions on this and ask if anyone knows why her body is possibly collecting so much water that she’s foaming from the mouth and she doesn’t think she needs to eat. Cause if I can’t find a way to fix this permanently and my theory is right then chances are that if I can get her to eat but her body is still collecting water, then She’ll never be able to be with open water again. I want her to be able to swim with her friends again. So if anyone has anything to say please do tell me.

New member

Don't know much about tigers but could the sal be bloated you mentioned it looking fat but not eating so maybe bloating? I have heard of salt bathes for sals but I don't know if they are reliable but might be worth some researching. If I'm completely wrong and it's not bloat ignore this post. Off topic but I have to say warrior cats are awesome ( if this is the same ravenpaw) .

Member

Have you read about illnesses and treatments in caudata culture, http://www.caudata.org/cc/ ? If you could find some help there when you have no chance with the vet. Do you know any experienced salamander keeper in your area, if you could ask someone to check her at home, for free? It could clarify the situation. I hope you best luck and for your sally, too!
Ps. Have you offered her just tiny bits of earthworm, if they were easier to swallow. And then there is cooling, but it's best you take a look at the caudata culture or here under the species-thread.

New member

Update on my salamander. I went through with my plan and she got skinny. She even started moving more. I took a night crawler and cut a small piece off and tried to feed it to her. She was still refusing to eat so I just left it on the moist paper towel in hopes she’d eat it on her own. Two days later and when I woke up she walking around her cage. The worm had crawled under the paper towel and died so I took it out and changed the paper towel as it too was beginning stink. An hour after changing the paper towel I went and checked on her. Unfortunately within that hour she had died. She seemed to have been doing better when she had suddenly died. I don’t know what I did wrong so if anyone knows please tell me.

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@sde, hi everybody I'm getting a tiger salamander coming from Katy Texas what are the shipping conditions that's okay to have them shipped to me in the state of Vermont it's just starting to get the temperature low above 45 but it may be too hot to ship him any thoughts or ideas on how to work this out

I currently have a 3 year old axolotl, he hasn't been eating for the past couple of weeks and has lost a lot of weight. Hedwig usually eats bloodworms and earthworms just fine but now he won't even stud it. I've done a water change to make his nitrate lower and his water is at a good temperature

Hey guys I was wondering if my axolotl looks fine to you he/she (still don’t know) I’d activate and eating as usual but I did notice veins in the tail area.. let me know what you guys think! Also if anyone could tell if it’s a boy or girl that would be great! (Zolo was eating a worm and pretty sure the worm pooped XD)